Ontario Soldiers Return Home After Training in Canada's North

Approximately 300 members of 4th Canadian Division's Arctic Response Company Group (ARCG) and Domestic Response Company completed Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE 2014 today, following 10 days of training in the challenging conditions of Canada's North.

The soldiers from Army Reserve units across Ontario spent the exercise honing their skills in survivability, mobility and sustainability around Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, supported by the Canadian Rangers of 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group.

Members of the ARCG successfully completed two long-range patrols, travelling nearly 375 kilometres across sea ice and tundra to reach the communities of Chesterfield Inlet and Whale Cove.

Despite temperatures that at times fell below -50°C, the soldiers conducted presence patrols, live fire ranges, tactical ambush operations and with the support of the 440 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), airmobile insertions to set up camps on the sea ice of Hudson Bay.

Quick Facts

Nearly 300 Canadian Armed Forces members from Army Reserve units based across Ontario, participated in Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE 14, along with 25 Canadian Rangers from 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group and aircrew from 440 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force.

During the course of the exercise, temperatures ranged from a high of -35°C to a low of -59°C, including wind chill.

Quotes

"Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE 2014 saw the Arctic Response Company Group successfully complete two long-distance patrols, under difficult conditions and challenging terrain, while the Domestic Response Company carried out valuable training in Arctic survival, mobility and tactical operations in and around Rankin Inlet. This training will allow our soldiers to deploy quickly and effectively into this demanding environment, whenever and wherever their help is needed."

Lieutenant-Colonel Lawrence Hatfield,

Commander, 31 Territorial Battalion Group

"This exercise was a major success in enhancing our ability to deploy soldiers to remote locations, in particular extreme cold conditions and sustain them in order to effectively train across a full spectrum of operations."

Lieutenant-Colonel Shane McArthur,

Land Component Commander

"Exercise TRILLIUM RESPONSE 2014 is an important step in training the soldiers of 4th Canadian Division to operate in the demanding conditions of the Arctic in support of the Government of Canada's goals. With the help and enthusiastic support of members of the local communities, the exercise succeeded in bringing together soldiers from across Ontario to train and learn from each other and the Canadian Rangers from the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group who shared invaluable Inuit skills and knowledge."